Harvard Honors the Four of ’48

In the 1,000-member freshman class at Harvard University in 1948 there were four black students. This was an all-time record. Bowing to the etiquette of Jim Crow, the four black students were paired as roommates.

All four of the black students graduated in 1952. These four men were honored recently at a reception sponsored by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

• James M. Harkless was the first black president of the Harvard Glee Club. He went on to earn a degree from Harvard Law School and spent his career as a labor arbitrator.
• Wallace C. Carrington also graduated from Harvard Law School and was one of the seven original overseas directors of the Peace Corps. He later served as U.S. ambassador to Nigeria.
• Herbert S. Hughes studied mathematics at Harvard and was one of a group of people who invented the automated teller machine.
• William M. Simmons was the first black president of the Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper. He later served in the U.S. Air Force and became a corporate lawyer.

Copyright © 2006. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.